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Hendrickson, Robert. "abacus." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 6 May 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=EWPO00010>.
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abacus

Definition 
Our name for this incredibly efficient instrument, which a skilled person can operate as fast and as accurately as an adding machine, is from the Greek abax, meaning a tablet for ciphering. The abacus was invented by the Chinese, but they call the beaded ciphering machine a suan pan, which is the source for the Japanese abacus called the soroban.

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